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#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: October 7, 2016

SHE JUST KEEPS MAKING HISTORY — HILLARY CLINTON IS FIRST MAJOR-PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE EVER TO WRITE OP-ED FOR AN LGBTQ PUBLICATION: In an op-ed for Philadelphia Gay News, Hillary Clinton talks about how, as president, she would advance the historic pro-LGBTQ equality agenda she and her running mate Tim Kaine have embraced. “If I’m fortunate enough to be elected president, I’ll protect the progress we’ve fought so hard to achieve — and I’ll keep fighting until every American can live free from discrimination and prejudice,” she writes. A staunch advocate for LGBTQ rights, Hillary Clinton co-sponsored ENDA in the U.S. Senate, used her platform as Secretary of State to champion of LGBTQ rights abroad, and has a comprehensive plan to achieve an AIDS-free generation. As president, one of her top legislative priorities would be to pass The Equality Act, guaranteeing full non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people across the nation. “We need to act on the federal level to take on discrimination in all its forms,” she writes. “That’s what I’ll do as President — with your help.” As she recently told HRC volunteers and reminded the world in this op-ed, “LGBT rights… are human rights.” Read the full piece at Philadelphia Gay News.

Her historic platform stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump’s turn-back-the-clock agenda: Donald Trump has committed to signing the so-called “First Amendment Defense Act,” a bill to enable taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBTQ people in the federal government. He’s also promised to nominate to the U.S. Supreme Court justices who would roll back marriage equality. More from HRC.

HRC PRESIDENT CALLS OUT TRUMP/PENCE FOR ATTACKING LGBTQ PEOPLE FOR PERCEIVED POLITICAL GAIN: In an op-ed for USA Today, HRC President Chad Griffin notes that while the subject of LGBTQ equality didn’t come up in Tuesday’s vice presidential debate, viewers joined in a robust online conversation about how a Donald Trump-Mike Pence administration would put at risk historic gains the LGBTQ community has made over the past decades. “Millions of people made the hashtag #AskTheGays — Trump’s infamous retort about his anti-LGBTQ record — trend nationally, pointing out Pence’s anti-LGBTQ record during the most divisive presidential race the LGBTQ community has ever seen,” Griffin writes, reminding that as Indiana’s governor, Pence signed a “license to discriminate” bill allowing businesses to refuse services to LGBTQ people. Trump and Pence owe equality voters answers, Griffin writes, about “why they have repeatedly attacked us for political gain and are running on an agenda that would strip away decades of progress.” Read today’s full op-ed at USA Today.

Sunday Night Must-See TV: Despite running on a ticket of hate, Donald Trump had the audacity to challenge skeptics to “ask the gays” about his terrible anti-LGBTQ record. During the second presidential debate this Sunday, we intend to answer him. Tweet along with HRC on debate night using the hashtag #AskTheGays to discuss what’s at stake for the LGBTQ community in this election.

LOL OF THE WEEK: No matter how bad your week was, we have a feeling it was better than Ted Cruz’s. Honestly, there are too many hilarious tweets about poor Ted to fit this tipsheet, so check out a roundup here. And here… And here.

CALLING ON JOHNS HOPKINS LEADERSHIP TO DISAVOW SPECIOUS ANTI-LGBTQ “REPORT”: Nearly 700 members of the Johns Hopkins community are calling for leadership of the university and its health system to distance themselves from “a misguided, misinformed attack on LGBT communities.” In August, Johns Hopkins psychiatry professor Paul McHugh and biostatistician Lawrence Mayer published a 116-page “special report” on gender and sexual orientation in The New Atlantis, a conservative bioethics magazine. The report made claims long rejected by gender and sexuality researchers. HRC has been in communication with Johns Hopkins over the need for an official statement about McHugh and Mayer’s activities. Recently, HRC met with leadership at Johns Hopkins to express the urgency of this issue and the continued need for action. Read more here at HRC.

MUST WATCH: “Tolerance is for cowards.” As The Washington Post reported recently, that assertion was “just a slice of the blunt talk that AT&T chief executive Randall Stephenson gave to company employees last week as Charlotte erupted into protests over the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.” Spurred on by events, the Post reported, Stephenson “spoke urgently about the need for difficult conversations about race — and in so doing became one of the most outspoken corporate leaders on the Black Lives Matter movement.” Watch his remarkable, very personal speech here. AT&T has consistently received a perfect score on HRC’s annual Corporate Equality Index.

COMING OUT AS TRANS, GENDER NON-CONFORMING OR GENDER FLUID: Almost five years ago, HRC National Press Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride) came out as transgender. In honor of National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, she shares some helpful tips that she’s picked up along the way for anyone coming out as transgender, gender non-conforming or gender fluid. More from HRC.

REMEMBERING MATTHEW SHEPARD ON THE 18TH ANNIVERSARY OF ATTACK THAT TOOK HIS LIFE: Yesterday, HRC marked the 18th anniversary of the vicious attack on Matthew Shepard that led to his death on Oct. 12, 1998. After they lost their son, Judy and Dennis Shepard, fought tirelessly to pass the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) , which was signed into law in 2009. Donald Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, shamefully voted against the law while serving in the U.S. Senate, calling it a “radical social agenda.” The Shepards continue their advocacy through the Matthew Shepard Foundation, dedicated to “replacing hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance.”

DOD ISSUES GUIDANCE TO AID IN IMPLEMENTING TRANS MILITARY SERVICE: The Department of Defense has released its handbook detailing the implementation of transgender military service, moving the U.S. military closer to ensuring every qualified American can serve openly and honestly. The handbook provides clarity for service members and their commanders about the policies and procedures the military will follow when a service member is transitioning, and guidance to promote communication and understanding between the transgender service member, their commander, and other personnel. More here.

HRC MOURNS TRANS WOMAN KILLED IN BIRMINGHAM: HRC was saddened and horrified to learn that Jazz, a 30-year-old transgender woman from North Carolina, was killed in Birmingham, Alabama, on September 23. AL.com reports that police are questioning a person of interest in the shooting. The same person was detained in connection with an October 3 attack on a transgender woman in a Birmingham home. More from HRC.

WARREN BEATTY SPEAKS OUT ABOUT TRANS SON: In first interview in 25 years, Actor Warren Beatty speaks about his trans son, calling him a “genius and revolutionary” More from Vanity Fair.

READING RAINBOW

AfterEllen recommends 10 LGBTQ YouTubers you should be watching… BBC reports that pop star Kylie Minogue and her fiancé will not wed until Australia passes marriage equality… News & Star talks to the UK’s first openly transgender TV reporter… The New York Times details the history of the Danspace Project, which honors dancers affected by HIV and AIDS…

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